NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research indicates that
anxiety and depression are risk factors for major heart-related
events among patients with stable coronary artery disease.

"We found that both major depression and generalized
anxiety disorder were more common in cardiac patients than in
the general community. More importantly, both predicted about a
doubling in risk for major cardiac events over two years,"
study chief Dr. Nancy Frasure-Smith, from the University of
Montreal, told Reuters Health.

She added that her study differed from previous research in
that it focused on patients with stable heart disease -- not on
those who were hospitalized for a cardiac event such as heart
attack.

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As reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry this
month, Frasure-Smith along with Dr. Francois Lesperance, also
from the University of Montreal, examined the prognostic
significance of depression and anxiety in 804 patients with
stable heart disease who were followed for 2 years.

Overall, 27 percent of patients showed signs of depression
on a standard test and 41 percent showed signs of anxiety.
Major depressive disorder was diagnosed in roughly 7 percent of
patients while about 5 percent had generalized anxiety
disorder.

Major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, as
well as elevated scores on the depression and anxiety tests all
increased the risk of a major coronary event. Of these, major
depressive disorder was the strongest factor, increasing the
risk by 2.85-fold. No additive effect was seen; patients with
both major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder
had roughly the same risk of suffering a major coronary event
as patients with just one of the disorders.

"Now that we know that both generalized anxiety disorder
and major depression are markers of increased cardiac risk, it
is imperative that these patients receive the best
evidence-based treatment for both their cardiac and psychiatric
conditions," Frasure-Smith emphasized.

"Extra efforts are justified in helping them change their
cardiac risk factors, assure treatment compliance, and improve
their emotional and social functioning," she added.